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Flea and Tick Medicine

6K views 41 replies 16 participants last post by  FourFeet 
#1 ·
Does anyone use flea and tick medicine? The vet gave me K9 Advantix. I've used it twice and have not seen any ticks on him. He did have one in February. I hate those things. But that is so expensive. I got a 6 month supply from Ebay pretty cheap, but I'm going to need more, he is going to be too heavy to use it all. It figures. It's good up to 55 pounds, right now he weighs 52 pounds. That's just my luck.
 
#4 ·
Yeah we get our fair share. I just saw the way that Frontline melted the artificial nail off my friend's hand. Seeing that got me thinking - that cannot be good for my dogs skin and immune system.

I try to talk a more alternative approach. However I have in the beginning use one tube of Advantax on both dogs (half does each) and used the garlic - just for peice of mind during the big time tick months.
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
We have a lot of ticks, flies, skeeters, you name it..I ordered the Springtime garlic chews, mine have been on them about 10 days so far..It takes a couple weeks to start working, but I like the benefits of it being all natural..Oh yes, they do have garlic breath tho :lol:
 
#8 ·
I've been using a natural product called flea away for over a year now and haven't seen the first flea or tick on Maddie. I think that's pretty good being that I live in the tropics! ;) Not too sure if we have a lot of ticks down here, cause I've never seen any!

http://fleaaway.com/index.htm
 
#42 ·
I used Revolution for years and had no issues. I did live in a low tick area at the time, but my dog LOVED to roll! I found the topical treatment a little messy and annoying. I also used Bravecto, which comes in tablet form, in another city because the vet recommended it for the type of ticks in that location. (Apparently different ones may work better against different ticks.) My dog didn't see the Bravecto as a treat like he was supposed to, so I always had to break it up and hide it in something yummy.

My understanding of both these medications is that the dog may still get a tick, but once the tick gorges, it will fall off the dog. If that's correct, you may still see a tick on your dog, but it will detach on its own, which is still pretty nasty. Ticks are gross. Poor pups.
 
#11 ·
I know we get lots of fleas and ticks, and I used the k9 Advantix on them and before I moved I never saw one critter on them. But after we moved, we must have a lot of ticks here because even with the k9 advantix on Rocky got a tick and so did Adrian I flipped because I never saw one before. My hubby put vasaline on them to get them to smother and back out and pulled them off and burnt them. I checked with the vet and he said they are fine, I am glad I have them on the lyme shots as well. I really flipped when I found one on my daughter. So needless to say I stocked up on a lot of yard products to put out, and if anyone else has any ideas i would greatly appreciate. I never had a tick problem before until we moved and I thought with the Advantix on they wouldn't be able to get them.
 
#14 ·
I don't know, I'm at a loss. I don't like the harsh chemicals of Advantix and other OTC's but I've been using fresh garlic and I've still found ticks. This is always right after we walked through an area known for ticks (ticks are awful around here). I am open to herbal and home remedies but I'm not convinced they work. I think the best bet is to just avoid grassy fields and likely ares of ticks.
 
#15 ·
Yeah the garlic is not going to keep the ticks from not jumping on them, however it does give off an unplesant order which makes them not want to suck blood - if that makes any sense.

I have seen ticks on my two, and have taken them off, but with both dogs on garlic, only had 2 all year last year that I had to take off.
 
#16 ·
Unfortunately I caught a tick biting and had to remove it with tweezers. Usually I've just seen them on them but this definitely freaked me out. I've actually read some stuff lately where some claim that garlic actually makes the blood tastier! Also no one really knows what the proper dosage is to be effective (if it all) so it's sorta a crapshoot. So now I'm just left confused.
 
#17 ·
revolution purpose IMO is used for fleas here in pets with bad immune systems, infections, we dont use it on dogs or cats unless their very sick to try to help with fleas and we dont want to use something strong, its a verymild flea killer imo..we hardly use it on dogs or cats at all...we use it on our ferrets at the sanctuary primarily, it works great for that...i'm happy to see these links for the all natural products...we'll be using them this year instead of our usual advantix!
 
#18 ·
I used K9Advantix last year and Cassius had some skin issues. I am not sure that it was from the Advantix but we're gonna try Frontline this year to see if this solves the problem. The new vet I went to for a 2nd opinion recommended Frontline over Advantix. His reasoning was that Advantix is absorbed into the blood stream and it takes the tic or flea to actually bite to be effective. This is why you may still have tics on your dog if you use advantix, but if they bite they die before they can transfer Lyme. He explained that Frontline is stored in the oil glands and that the fleas and tics are repelled as soon as they touch the skin. I do not know if this makes one more effective than the other. Certain trails by me get really tic infested in the spring and fall and with advantix I know I am still pulling them off the dog after a hike.
 
#19 ·
tracim_1970 said:
revolution purpose IMO is used for fleas here in pets with bad immune systems, infections, we dont use it on dogs or cats unless their very sick to try to help with fleas and we dont want to use something strong, its a verymild flea killer imo..we hardly use it on dogs or cats at all...we use it on our ferrets at the sanctuary primarily, it works great for that...i'm happy to see these links for the all natural products...we'll be using them this year instead of our usual advantix!
Revolution provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and mites such as ear mites and sarcoptic mites. It also provides protection from heartworms. I've used Revolution for 6 years on my previous boxer before I went the natural route. If i had to use a chemical again to rid my dog of fleas or mites I would most definitely use this one again.

It is NOT a very mild flea killer and should NOT be used on pets with "bad", weak immune systems, or very sick animals. It does need to be administered exactly per the instructions to be effective, as with any of these chemical preventatives.
 
#20 ·
Interesting. Revolution sounds pretty good, but I'm looking at their website and they say it's effective against one specific kind of tick, the American dog tick. The deer ticks are the real problem ones up here (and carriers of lyme disease) so if it doesn't work against them it'd be pretty much worthless in the Northeastern United States.
 
#21 ·
Honestly, IDK if any product is going to keep ticks off of the dogs. I think if ticks were a big issue and I was living where they are, I might talk to the vet about the Lyme vaccine. I really don't know anything about the vaccine because I don't live in a tick area. I'm sure they are here, I just never saw one. Any info on the vaccine?
 
#23 ·
thanks for your info tootsie, i think i need to better clarify what i was saying..when rescue had animals just recouping or recovering from an illness that needed something to protect them thats what they used, its wasnt used for a pet combined with any ongoing treatment while they were there it was what they used to treat in aftercare or what they suggested in some instances to owners depending on what the animal had been suffering from and the area they lived instead of using the frontline and such...its the only flea med you can give a ferret safely IMO,we have small syringes we do measure the amount depending on the weight of the fuzzy so thats what i know it for best!
 
#24 ·
I just came from the vet, and he does not recommend the lyme shot for Sunomi. Only because he has so many allergies. He has bad reactions to his vaccines. He said not to give it to him, it could have a very bad outcome even with a shot of Benadryl. Which he has to have before every vaccine. Now he has mange mites :wall: I have to take him for a dip every two weeks for about a month to get rid of those things. :?:
 
#25 ·
sully said:
This thread actually persuaded me not to get the vaccine, good info from heather and newcastle:

opinions-on-the-lymes-vaccine-t15041.html
Interesting article in that thread. I think if I still lived up north I would forgo the vaccine also, but I'd probably end up obsessed with checking for ticks every day! 8O
 
#26 ·
Cedar is supposed to help prevent fleas, not sure about ticks, so we use cedar mulch and have cedar fencing around our yard, no signs of any fleas. Ticks tend to be in areas with high grass, under brush, or wooded. Any trail walk always ends in a tick search. One of the advantages of the white is you can find ticks very easily. During the heavier tick seasons I can pull 4 or 5 off of him after a 45 minute walk, and be sure to check yourself too, trust me.
 
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